


In the Aftermath

by aretia



Series: Aretia's 1000 Follower Giveaway [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Multi, Sleepy Cuddles, season 7 inspired but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-06 00:14:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15874605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aretia/pseuds/aretia
Summary: After the battle against the Galra on Earth, Shiro and Allura get a visit from Matt in the hospital, and get their well deserved rest.





	In the Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

  * For [burrsir](https://archiveofourown.org/users/burrsir/gifts).



> For Alyssa, who won 3rd place in my 1000 followers giveaway!

Shiro had known every kind of tiredness that the human body could endure. The stinging eyes and pounding headaches of sleep deprivation, whether forced, self-imposed, or out of necessity for lack of safety. The muscle aches that never seemed to go away, first from his illness, then from overexertion and the loss of his arm. The haunting doubts in his mind, the temper that was worn raw and strung tight like a thread ready to snap at any moment, the desperation of giving up.

But none of it was as compelling as the tiredness he felt now. This one he wouldn’t classify as being the same as any of the others. It weighed on him like mist, heavy, but benign. It was the sense of tiredness that he could actually give into—just close his eyes and go back to sleep rather than pushing his body to its limits again. It felt like relief. 

Still, he kept his eyes open for long enough to turn over and gaze at Allura, who was still fast asleep beside him in the hospital bed. She had taken a direct hit from the Komar, so Shiro couldn’t blame her if she felt even more tired than he did. But she had won, and it showed in the serene expression on her face. The sunlight from the window danced on her pearly curls, which were splayed out over the pillow and her back, almost iridescent in the light. Shiro brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, trailing his fingers over the marking on her cheek. Then he placed his hand over hers, and she loosened her grip on the pillow and moved her fingers to intertwine with his. 

The door to the hospital room slid open, and in walked Matt. He wasn’t wearing his rebel armor or even his Garrison uniform, just a comfortable t-shirt and jeans and his usual ponytail. Shiro let his eyelids droop slightly, keeping them open just a sliver, so that he could observe Matt’s reaction when he thought both of them were still asleep. Matt brought his hand to his mouth, and met Shiro’s eyes with a loving gaze. Shiro’s eyes fluttered open again, and Matt smiled.

“I knew you weren’t really asleep. You never sleep in,” Matt commented, his voice still quiet as he walked over to Shiro’s side of the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” Shiro groaned, and he was surprised by how hoarse his voice sounded. 

“That’s good,” said Matt. He sat down on the edge of the bed, and rubbed Shiro’s shoulder while he took off his shoes. Then, he slid his legs under the blanket and curled up behind Shiro, wrapping his arms around Shiro’s waist. Shiro snuggled closer to Allura so that they could all fit on the bed. 

Matt was especially clingy now. He had always been clingy, but he had a good reason for it. Their relationship had only just begun when Shiro and Allura disappeared for three years because they got trapped in a time distortion. Matt had spent those years working with the rebels, all while desperately searching for them. And when he found out they had returned, it was along with the discovery that they had been involved in an almost deadly battle defending Earth from the Galra. If Matt couldn’t keep his hands off of Shiro and Allura, Shiro thought that he deserved to have his wishes indulged.

“I still can’t get used to the hair,” Matt remarked, running his fingers through Shiro’s short white hair. “You and Allura have matching hair now. Am I going to need to dye my hair white so that people can tell we’re a matching set?”

Shiro chuckled, and reached behind Matt’s neck to untie his ponytail. “I still can’t get used to _your_ hair,” Shiro replied. “It looks so cute when it’s long. How come you never tried growing it out before?”

“Because it gets in my mouth even when I’m sleeping alone,” Matt retorted. “See how much you like it now that you have _two_ of us to deal with.”

“I heard that,” Allura mumbled sleepily from the other side of the bed, while blowing a strand of hair out of her face. 

“Don’t listen to him. I love your hair,” Shiro said.

“Mm… I love you too,” Allura murmured, still drowsy and only barely paying attention. 

“I love you too, Allura,” Matt said, reaching over to take her hand. He pulled it over to his face so that he could kiss the back of it, then rested it on Shiro’s shoulder. He kissed the nape of Shiro’s neck. “Love you, Shiro.”

“I love both of you so much,” Shiro replied. Nestled in the arms of both of the loves of his life, there was nothing else he wanted to do but doze off into a peaceful sleep.


End file.
